What's on

Classical appeal

Compilation of Classics in the Flourishing Age, an exhibition at the China Millennium Monument, is dedicated to an ambitious cultural chronicle that began in 2005. Zhejiang University in Hangzhou reached out to museums and institutions at home and abroad with collections of fine classical Chinese paintings to gather information and seek licensed images. Their hard work resulted in A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings, a 60-volume encyclopedic collection that catalogs over 12,400 classical pieces. These paintings on paper, silk or linen are housed in 263 museums, galleries or other institutions. The exhibition traces the book's long path from origin to completion, showing prints and digital images of the featured paintings in an immersive environment that resembles ancient studios. The exhibition ends on May 5.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 9A Fuxing Lu, Haidian district, Beijing.010-8418-7900.

Cultural crossroad

Selected works from the 7th China Image Contest are on show at the National Museum of China in the exhibition, Jointly Building the Belt and Road, Looking for a Brighter Future. It provides a panoramic view of the changes over the past decade since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward. The contest received 20,000 submissions, and 121 images were given awards. The photos present the diverse landscapes of the countries taking part in the BRI, large construction projects to strengthen connectivity among countries involved in the initiative, and the diversity of cultures and customs. The exhibition also shows that the deepening exchange of products and technologies has benefited people in many nations. The exhibition runs through March 20.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.

Everyday heroes

Hailing the national heroes and models endeavoring at the grassroots is the theme of the latest exhibition at the China National Academy of Painting, lasting till Feb 17. In recent years, the academy has arranged for its resident artists to portray people who have contributed to national development in their respective areas, such as Zhang Guimei, the principal of a free public high school for girls in rural Yunnan province. On show are classical Chinese and oil paintings, calligraphy scrolls, prints and sculptures that profile these ordinary heroes from different backgrounds, whose work has changed other people's lives.

9-11:30 am, 1:30-4:30 pm, daily. 54 Xisanhuan Bei Lu, Haidian district, Beijing. 010-6841-2606.

The good earth

Land, earth, soil — this umbrella concept is a recurring motif through which artists convey an emotional attachment to, and thoughts on, the relationships people share with their environments. The Art Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts' exhibition, Cultivating the Earth, brings together prints by its professors which are on show through to March 3. In their work, the land and soil are more than the ground on which magnificent landscapes are set. Also, these artists revisit the motif as a symbol of the spirit that prompts humans to create civilizations. They also reflect on how human activities change nature, such as by examining the pros and cons of urbanization and its influence on city dwellers' mentalities.

9:30 am-5:30 pm, closed on Mondays. 8 Huajiadi Nan Jie, Wangjing, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6477-1575.

China Daily